Princess Celestia: You delegates have traveled far and wide to represent your cities as we seek to celebrate and learn from all the unique places that make up our wonderful land of Equestria. At tonight's welcome reception, Princess Cadance will dedicate this beautiful friendship statue made up of gemstones from each of your home cities.

[crowd oohing and ahhing]

Spike: [licks lips]

Princess Celestia: Now I'd like to turn things over to the one who organized the summit: Princess Twilight Sparkle!

[crowd cheering]

Twilight Sparkle: [tired] Thank you, everypony. With delegates from over fifty cities attending three days of conferences, receptions, and meetings, this is the largest Grand Equestria Pony Summit yet. And let me tell you, putting it all together has led to more than one sleepless night. We're so excited to have you here and to learn more about life all across this great land of ours.

[crowd cheering]

Twilight Sparkle: And now my faithful assistant Spike would like to say a few words.

Spike: Um, hello, everypony! I'm here to help any way I can. So if there's anything I can do for any of you—

Princess Cadance: She's been awake three straight days preparing for the summit. We need to make sure she gets some rest today. She'll never be able to attend the welcome reception in this condition. Can I count on you to see to it that she isn't disturbed?

Spike: I promise! I won't let you down!

Twilight Sparkle: [snoring]

[marching music]

[telescope squeaking]

Spike: Perfect.

[bird singing]

Spike: Not on my watch.

[bird singing]

Spike: Uh, excuse me? Can you keep it down a little? Oh, no!

[door opens]

[bird singing]

Twilight Sparkle: [snoring]

Spike: I'll give you birdseed! Worms! Anything! Just please stop singing before you wake the princess!

Twilight Sparkle: [snoring]

Spike: Huh. I can't believe that worked.

[polo ponies shouting]

Twilight Sparkle: [groaning]

Spike: Hyah!

Polo ponies: [surprised noises]

Spike: [sighs] Uh, hi fellas. Sorry to break up your game, but there's sort of an important diplomatic summit kind of thingy going on, and it involves a princess needing to sleep, and, uh... maybe you could move your game somewhere else?

[chainsaw buzzing]

Spike: Uh, the princess thanks you for your understanding! Excuse me. Do you have to do this right now? [sneezes] Oh, no! Are those dragon-sneeze trees? [sniffles]

Horticultural Pegasus: Uh, these are too top-heavy. Wouldn't take much to bring these beauties down.

Spike: What are you talking about? I'm a great princess—I mean, Twilight's a great princess! And I've been working hard to help her! When two delegates had a falling out, I'm the one who fixed their friendship! I listened to that pony drone on about gems for forty-five minutes so Twilight wouldn't have to! I moved a polo match away from the tower so she could sleep! And I didn't even eat that delicious looking statue! I'm a decision-making master!

[beat]

Spike: [sighs] Okay. So maybe I did get a little carried away making decisions. But it's not like anything bad happened.

[thok]

[trees falling]

[water main bursting]

Princess Cadance and Spike: [screaming]

Spike: This is unexpected!

Princess Cadance: I'll go shut off the main! You get rid of the water!

Twilight Sparkle: [yawns] I'm glad you're here, Spike. We've got a lot to do! Do you know if the water main was fixed?

Spike: Uh, you seem well-rested.

Twilight Sparkle: I haven't slept like that since I was a filly!

Spike: You haven't? Well, at least I got one thing right. And it was the one thing Cadance asked of me. Maybe I did do a good job today!

[knocking]

[doors burst open]

Spike: [yelps]

[delegates shouting]

Twilight Sparkle: Fancy Pants, what's wrong?

Fancy Pants: Don't play games with me, Princess! You know why I'm here!

Twilight Sparkle: Is this about the special privileges you wanted? Because this seems a little extreme!

Fancy Pants: The special privileges?! The last thing on my mind is special privileges!

Twilight Sparkle: What's going on, Spike?

Spike: Um... you needed to sleep. And Princess Cadance told me you weren't to be disturbed. And there was this bird, and, well... long story short, I made a few decisions on your behalf.

Twilight Sparkle: A few decisions?!

Spike: Well, maybe more than a few, but I had good intentions! Honest! Until I... didn't anymore. I'm sorry, Twilight. I guess I got a little carried away. It-it just felt so good to have ponies caring about my opinions on such important matters. I guess I was just enjoying feeling like a princess.

Twilight Sparkle: Well, Spike, one of the most important things a princess can do is realize when she's made a mistake and fix it.

Spike: How do I do that?

Princess Cadance: You could start with them.

Spike: [sighs] Uh, hi there, everypony. So I guess I owe you all a pretty big apology. It's funny. Here we are at a summit that brings together ponies from all across Equestria, and all I could think about was myself. You all came here to celebrate the things that make each of our cities so unique and special. But instead of getting into the spirit of things like all of you, I used my friend's position to make myself feel good.

[gems clinking]

Fancy Pants: The Canterlot ruby goes here, old sport.

"March Gustysnows": And ours goes here, don't'cha know?

[delegates chattering, gems clinking]

Spike: Does this mean you forgive me?

"Joe Pescolt": Sure! You know, the whole idea of the statue is that when each of us plays our own small part, it adds up to somethin' great.

Fancy Pants: Quite. Just like how all our cities make up the beautiful land of Equestria!

Princess Cadance: I hereby dedicate the Citizens of Equestria statue to everypony who plays their part, no matter how big or how small!